Star Fox The Lynx With the Heart of a Panther
by general whitefur
Summary: Miyu is feeling lonely and decides to sign on with Star Fox for awhile to clear her head. However Star Wolf soon shows up with a proposal to work together on a mission with a massive pay off. During the mission Miyu meets Panther and feels herself falling in love, and so is Panther. A slightly unusual pairing but I think Miyu and Panther work well together. Reviews are appreciated.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is a story I did a few months ago, it was my first outing with a pairing other than Fox and Krystal. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. The pairing is Miyu Panther, a bit unusual I suppose, but it makes things interesting. I hope you like it, and please leave a review, they really help me with my writing.

Chapter 1

To say that Miyu was brilliant was an understatement, there was virtually nothing that she couldn't do, no problem that she couldn't overcome, at least intellectually. However there was one thing in her life that she knew was missing, a man. Certainly she had had relationships with men, she had plenty of guy friends, Fox, Falco, Slippy, and the rest, but she had never been able to meet the man she would want to have a far more serious relationship with. It hadn't bothered her for most of her life, she had always been able to simply bury herself in work, or go on a long flight in her Arwing, in other words she had always been able to find a way to forget about the one thing in her life that she couldn't seem to achieve. Romance.

Lately however she had been feeling a bit different, the longing had become more acute of late, as well as far more distracting. She had decided that she needed to clear her head, and that she needed the company of friends. So she had gotten in her Arwing and flown straight for the Great Fox, fully intending to sign on with the team for awhile and forget about her ever increasing loneliness with a few missions and plenty of time with her closest friends.

As she approached the Great Fox her Arwing's comm. started beeping. She hit the open channel button and heard the metallic and emotionless voice of ROB come over the comm. line. "Incoming Arwing, identify yourself and state your intentions."  
Miyu smiled and said "It's Miyu, ROB, and my intention is to spend some time on the Great Fox, am I clear to dock?"

"Opening hangar doors. Welcome Miyu."

"Thanks ROB."  
Miyu angled for the hangar and landed. The hangar doors closed and the room repressurized, she popped the hatch and hopped out onto the hangar floor. She was met by Fox but none of the others. "Hey Fox, where's everybody else?"

Fox smiled and said "Krystal is meditating, and probably knows you're here, Falco is weight lifting, and Slippy is in the middle of some repairs in the engine room."

Miyu nodded and said "Well, I suppose you're wondering why I'm here."

"I am curious, you don't usually leave Corneria Flight Academy these days."

Miyu sighed and said "Well, that is true. I guess I was getting bored, and was wondering if you could use an extra pilot for awhile."

Fox nodded "Yeah, we can always use an extra hand. Welcome aboard."  
Before the two could say anything more an alarm sounded and ROB's voice came over the ship speakers "Incoming fighters, Wolfen class."

Fox growled and said "Wolf, he always seems to come around when it looks we can just have a nice relaxing day."  
Miyu smiled "He's always had good timing."  
Fox nodded and went over to a comm. panel to access the ship wide intercom "Come on everyone, I know you heard ROB, to the Arwings, let's go!"

About five seconds later Krystal, Falco, and Slippy came careening through the doorway and into the hangar, Krystal smiled at Miyu as she ran past her to her Arwing. Miyu hopped back into her fighter and powered it up. Images of her new wing mates popped up on the comm. screen and Fox said "No preflight checks this time, let's just take these fools down again and return to having a good day."  
With that the fighters lifted off in a synchrony born of having flown together for years, Miyu was happy to notice that she actually was able to maintain that same synchrony, even if she wasn't a permanent member of the team, it was at least a testament to her flying skills. The five Arwings rocketed out of the hangar.

Miyu quickly checked her weapons status, she was happy to note that she still had a few of the new and Miyu improved smart bombs in her weapons bay. She had improved their targeting and homing programs to the point where not even she could actually shake one loose, and she was one of the best pilots she knew, oddly enough only Krystal had ever actually beaten her, Miyu chalked that one up to her sixth sense without resentment. She spotted the three Wolfen fighters ahead and said over the comm. line "Hey, how about I give 'em a little surprise, I want to see if any of them can out fly me. Pretty please?"

She saw the team smile and Fox said "Have at them. Sooner we smoke 'em the better."  
Miyu knew that when it came to battles with Star Wolf both teams shot only to disable, neither side had any interest in killing the other, all they wanted to do was show the other up. Accordingly Miyu set one of the homing bombs to an ion pulse that would fry its target's systems, but cause no permanent harm, at least none that she and Slippy couldn't repair.

Choosing a target at random she fired. The Wolfen's pilot immediately went for a standard dodge maneuver that would have worked on an unimproved bomb, however her special bomb simply adjusted its heading, she had programmed every move she knew into it, it was as close to a thinking and anticipating bomb as she had been able to make. Programming sentience was one of the few things beyond her skills. She watched as the targeted fighter continued evasive maneuvers. She heard Krystal say "You had to choose Panther?"

Miyu looked at her image and said "Random chance. Who's Panther?"

Krystal smiled "Newest member of that team, been after me for awhile."  
Miyu smiled "Ever flirt?"

Krystal grinned and said "Only to make Foxy jealous."  
Miyu noticed Fox roll his eyes. After that she continued to watch Panther trying to dodge her bomb. She heard Fox and Wolf start talking, but didn't pay all that much attention, she was more focused on what this Panther was doing. He had slowed considerably, and the bomb was gaining fast, she noticed his engines go dark, in fact everything went dark. And the bomb flew straight past, though close enough that the pilot could have reached out and touched it. Then a moment later the fighter powered back up and a volley of laser fire destroyed the bomb. Miyu shook her head, this Panther character certainly had balls. If he had misjudged his inertia or done one of a million things even slightly less than perfect the bomb would have hit.

Now that she had seen the result of her little test she focused on the conversation taking place between Fox and Wolf. "...Look I admit we got in a little over our heads..."

Miyu saw Fox shaking his head "A little over your heads? Taking on the Sector X Syndicate by yourselves is more than a little over your head."

Wolf frowned "Ok, fine, we're way over our heads. But this job could be a huge pay off, you know how much Zoness Shipping is offering?"

"How much?"

"Five million."

The comm. lines went silent. Miyu was shocked to say the least, five million credits was a massive amount of money for one job. Though she knew that even with that kind of reward there were only two mercenary teams in the system that were good enough and crazy enough to take the job. And she was currently with one and looking at the other.

Fox grunted and said "So then, you're here because...?"

Wolf sighed "Because we need help to finish this job, and to be honest you and your team are the best I know of, besides me and my team. I'm willing to split the fee fifty-fifty. Interested?"

"Give us a minute." Fox replied.

Miyu switched to a private channel with the rest of them and said "I say we do it. Five hundred grand each is pretty damn good."

Krystal agreed saying "We do need a job Fox, and this has the potential to pay off real well."  
Falco shook his head "Still, the Sector X Syndicate, that's fucking dangerous, and we don't even have the details."

Slippy smiled and said "What's the matter Falco, afraid?"

Falco looked indignant and said "Fear is for the other guys. Besides, if you're in Slippy I can't say no without sacrificing more of my manliness than I care to. I'm in."

Fox nodded and said "Alright, I say we have job. Any last minute protests?"

No one said a word. Fox reopened a channel to Wolf and said "Alright, for a fifty-fifty we're in. But Wolf?"

"Yeah?"  
"I want to know everything before I risk my team."  
Wolf nodded "No problem. I'll give you all the details once we're aboard. Oh and Fox, don't try and kill Panther again."

Fox smiled and said "Tell it to Miyu, she's the one who tried."

Wolf raised an eyebrow and said "I was wondering who the fifth Arwing belonged to. Alright, we clear to head in?"

Fox nodded "Yeah, us first though."

With that the two teams docked on board the Great Fox one after the other. Miyu got the distinct feeling they were in deep, this was exactly what she needed. Exactly.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: They meet face to face for the first time, read on to see what Panther thinks of her. Reviews are appreciated.

Chapter 2

Once aboard the Great Fox Miyu powered down her fighter and hopped out. She looked around towards the three Wolfens and noticed one with a red rose painted on. She heard Krystal walk up and say "That would be Panther's."

Miyu nodded and watched the pilot get out, he was tall, with velvety black fur, and an impressive build. She looked at Krystal and said "He's hot."

Krystal nodded "Yes he is. But Fox is on a whole different level."

Miyu smiled and said "So I take it he finally asked you out."  
"Yep, we've been dating since the end of the Aparoid Invasion. So seven months now."

"Madly in love?"

Krystal smiled and said "With us, it was love at first sight. And that's why it took us so long."  
Miyu nodded "Both afraid the other would reject you."  
Krystal nodded "Yep. Now however we're together, and we're happy."

"How hot have things gotten?" Miyu asked.

"We made love every night this week." Krystal looked towards Panther and then said "He's looking at you."

Miyu almost jumped "He is?"

Krystal nodded "Yes, and he looks dreamy eyed for you. Why don't you go say hi and apologize for trying to kill him."

Miyu took a breath and said "Fine. And Krystal?"

"Yes?"  
"He's mine."

Krystal grinned and said "Good, that will keep him away from me. Good luck."  
With that Krystal went to join Fox. Miyu looked over at Panther and saw that he was indeed looking at her. She repressed a smile and started making her way over to him. She noticed that her heart was beating a little faster, and she had butterflies in her stomach. She hadn't felt like this in a long time. Then again she hadn't done something like this in a long time. Walking up to him she smiled and said "Hey, I'm Miyu. Sorry for taking a shot at you."

Panther smiled straight back, it was a good smile, genuine, and endearing, though she had a feeling she wasn't the first attractive woman to see it. "No problem, nothing I couldn't handle. My name is Panther Caroso. Out of curiosity, did you modify that bomb at all?"

Miyu nodded "Yep. Taught it everything I know about avoiding its kind. Though your solution to avoiding it was the one thing I couldn't program it to handle. After all, it can't hit what it can't see."

Panther nodded "Indeed. Either way though, I will admit to being impressed by the modifications. They certainly made avoiding it... interesting."

"You know, so long as you're complimenting my modded bombs I have to tell you that when it comes to piloting I've never seen someone do quite as well as you. Your maneuvers were extremely fluid."

Panther chuckled and replied "Piloting is one of my strengths, one of many."

Miyu twitched an ear and replied "I take it you have plenty of confidence in yourself."

Panther smiled and replied "A man without confidence is like a predator without teeth, doomed to ineffectiveness."

"I suppose I can agree to that."

Before the two could continue their conversation Wolf motioned for Panther to join him. Panther nodded and then looked at Miyu "A pleasure meeting you Miyu."

Miyu smiled and replied "Same." He flashed her that winning smile and then walked off.

As Panther joined Wolf he noticed he was still smiling, in fact he was practically grinning. There was something about this Miyu that he liked. Something beyond her shapely curves, spotted fur, and that golden ring in her ear, though he would be lying if he said he didn't like those. But there was something about her that was different, attractive in a less sexual way, something he couldn't quite put his finger on. He found for the first time he actually wanted to get to know a woman, something beyond the best way to get into her pants, which he was well aware was generally his only concern when it came to beautiful women. He noticed Wolf looking at him and said "What?"

Wolf shrugged and said "I've never seen you smile this much after talking to a woman, even when she agrees to fuck you on the first date. What gives?"

Panther killed his smile and said "It's nothing. Out of curiosity, what did you think of her?"

Wolf thought for a moment and then said "She has a nice ass. And that earring, I like that."

Panther shook his head "I take it you don't know her then."  
Wolf gave him a look and said "No. But Panther? Everyone on Star Fox does, and if I recall she and Fox were very close, so tread carefully."

Panther nodded. He intended to. For whatever reason, he wanted to get to know Miyu, and although he wouldn't deny that sex had something to do with it, he decided that in this case, he wanted more, a lot more.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: A longer chapter this time, read on...

Chapter 3

Miyu sat in one of quite a few comfortable chairs surrounding a large table in the Great Fox briefing room. Both teams had assembled to hear Wolf explain the details of their mission, and Miyu was anxious to find out just how Wolf thought they could take on the Sector X Syndicate, or if he even had a plan. She noticed that both teams had done their best to separate themselves, Leon and Falco were sitting opposite each other and appeared to be in something of a stare down, Wolf and Fox were also sitting across from each other, and she noted that Panther had seemed to do his best to position himself as close to her as possible, though still staying with his team.

"So," Fox said, "What exactly is this job we're about to do that is worth oh so much money?"  
Wolf put his hands on the table and said "You know how the CDF isn't quite back up to full strength yet after the losses to the Aparoids?" Everyone nodded. "Well, some of the lowlife in the system have decided that that's an opportunity, with what's left of the CDF either stationed above Corneria or in dock for repairs there isn't anyone keeping the rest of the system safe for trade and travel. The Sector X Syndicate has thus started hitting targets that used to be far too well protected for them to have a chance in hell. Zoness shipping has lost three convoys to these guys in the last month, and it's cost them something around forty million in losses. They want to put a stop to that before it runs them out of business."  
Falco grunted and said "So they hired you three?"

Wolf looked at him and said "You got a problem with that?"

Falco shrugged "Nah. Just wondering."

Miyu looked over at Wolf and said "So what's your plan for taking down the Syndicate? Or did you just plan to wing it?"

Wolf shook his head "I've got a plan. The Syndicate doesn't just operate out of Sector X anymore, they've gone system wide. I planned on doing something to discourage their continued expansion. Maybe take out one or two of the bosses in other places throughout the system. However there is one little hitch in that plan."

Miyu smiled and said "You don't know where they are do you?"  
Wolf nodded "Perceptive. And that's where we need your guys help first."

Slippy looked confused and said "But we don't know where they are either."

Wolf looked at Fox and said "I have the feeling you guys might know someone who does, or at least someone who could find out."  
Fox thought for a moment and then said "I know the Cornerian Intelligence Directorate has been keeping tabs on the Syndicate, for future operations once the fleet is back up to strength. I can make a few calls and see what I can find out, no promises though."  
Wolf nodded and said "Then make the calls, and as soon as you find out where they are we can come up with a plan to start taking them out."

Miyu frowned and said "You know the Syndicate isn't going to just sit around and let us take out their bosses, they'll come after us."

Panther smiled a somewhat predatory smile and said "And that's when things will get interesting. After all I prefer the idea of letting the enemy come at me and then destroying them. And there will be less sneaking around and more straight up fighting."

Falco raised an eyebrow and said "And here I thought felines liked to stalk their prey."

Panther shrugged and said "I prefer to simply destroy them in the blazing and glorious fury of unrestrained aerial combat."

Miyu hid a smile at that, Panther really didn't lack confidence, and she was beginning to find that very attractive. And that scar under his eye, it certainly gave his face some serious character. She realized then that she was starting to stare and took her eyes off him, _Come on Miyu, snap out of it. Your acting like your back in high school looking at cute guys with Fay. Although he is cute...Come on Miyu! Pull it together, the last thing you need right now is to start getting distracted by an admittedly very attractive man. I'm about to go on a very dangerous mission. Although it's hard not to be distracted, and maybe this is exactly what I need. Oi! Think about it later. _

She noticed Panther give her a sidelong glance and did her best to hide the slight blush it caused her. She noticed Fox nodding at Wolf and saying he was going to go make the calls for information on the Syndicate. It seemed that the briefing was over. She got up with everyone else and tapped Krystal on the shoulder "You guys still have the training room on board right?"

Krystal nodded "Of course. I was actually going to head down there right now, I've been feeling a need to do some training with my staff. Want to come with?"

Miyu nodded "Definitely."

The two girls walked out and headed down the hallway towards the Great Fox's training room. As they entered Miyu looked around and spotted a punching bag. She walked over to it and said "I am going to punch the shit out of this thing right now."  
Krystal smiled and said "Good, it likes it rough."  
Miyu smiled back and started throwing a few punches at it, then a few kicks, then a mix of both, a few minutes later she was definitely feeling a lot better, and a little warmer. She saw Krystal about a meter away going through various forms with her staff. She also couldn't help but notice that she had changed into something a little more revealing than what she had been wearing previously. It was actually just a loin cloth and what appeared to be a constricting brass bra. "I can see why Fox fell in love with you if that was the first thing he saw you wearing."

Krystal looked at her and said "This was what was worn on Cerinia. But yeah I know, it's pretty damn sexy."  
"Seems a little..."  
"Constricting?" Miyu nodded. "That it is. But it's not uncomfortable, it is what I'm most used to wearing."

Miyu smirked and said "And I'm sure Fox loves to see you wearing it."

Krystal nodded "That he does, he practically drools when he sees me in it."  
Miyu gave the bag a solid left hook and then a spin kick and said "So, now that you and Fox are together, how long do you think it will take Falco to find someone?"

Krystal executed a few moves with her staff and then said "Oh who knows? I'm sure once he's had enough of paying for sex."

Miyu's eyes widened and she said "He has sex with whores?"

Krystal shook her head "No, I lied. Well actually, he's never paid for it as far as I know, but some of the women he's done it with are a bit less than respectable."

Miyu sighed and said "It's a good thing Katt isn't around him anymore. She'd be broken hearted."  
Krystal frowned and said "You know those two really do have feelings for each other. Their just too damn stubborn to admit it. But I know what you mean, Katt stays away these days for a reason."

Miyu punched the bag and sent it spinning. She remembered how Katt and Falco had been years ago, she had no doubt they were in love, of course Falco was too hormonal to want to settle down. And then of course there had been the cheating. Falco had started it, though Katt had certainly done it, if only to get back at Falco. When they had broken up before the Lylat War she had been with Katt, and Katt had cried for weeks. Miyu was certain that Katt was still in love, and she knew that Falco had been, if just too dumb and stubborn to say anything, or admit it to himself. It was really a shame, a damn shame.

Just then the doors to the room opened and Panther walked in. Miyu couldn't help but stare at the fact that he was shirtless, and she couldn't help but admire his washboard abs, and his pecks. And his muscled arms. She felt Krystal poke her and heard her whisper "I'll leave you two alone."  
Miyu grabbed her and said "Don't go. I think I need a little back up here."  
Krystal smiled and said "Just go ask him to spar with you, nothing like a little hand to hand combat to break the ice. Fox and I do it all the time."

Miyu sighed and said "Fine. I'll try not to hurt him too bad."  
Krystal smiled again and gave her squeeze on the shoulder before exiting the room. She walked by Panther without so much as a second glance. Miyu knew at that moment Krystal really was in love with Fox, she would never have been able to avoid a second look at Panther that easily. She looked over at him and said "Hey, I need a sparring partner, you any good at hand to hand?"

Panther gave her that winning smile and said "I can hold my own. Though I don't generally spar with girls."  
Miyu walked over and said "Let's see if I can find out why."

The two faced off and then came at each other. Panther swung first, Miyu blocked the punch and then countered with a fast jab to his ribs, to her surprise it connected, she hadn't actually counted on him not blocking it. She saw Panther wince and hesitated for a brief second, wondering if she had hit him somewhere sensitive. But in that moment Panther managed to get an arm around her and tackle her to the ground, they both came down, though Panther was clearly at that advantage. He held her there for a moment and Miyu smiled and said "I might take this the wrong way in a moment."

Panther shook his head and got up, "Sorry, I don't usually hold girls down." He offered her a hand, she took it and then twisted it, causing him to yelp as she swept his feet out from under him. The next he knew she was the one holding him to the ground.

Miyu smiled down at him and said "I doubt you ever need to."  
Panther smiled back up at her "So true."

The two lay there for a moment, Miyu with one hand on Panther's arm and the other holding down his chest. They locked eyes for a moment and Miyu found him gazing straight back at her. She took a breath and looked away, then let him back up. The two stood and Miyu said "Your pretty good."

Panther smiled and said "As are you. Not many people can take me down, especially with such ease and form. I would say that makes you quite a remarkable woman."

Miyu smiled, "You seem to enjoy flattering me. Or is this how you always are with women?"

Panther shrugged and said "I mean what I say. Though I suppose I have more praise for women than men."  
Miyu raised an eyebrow and said "I wonder why that is?"

Panther gave her a half smile and said "They happen to be far more beautiful."

Miyu shook her head. "Is that all you really think about with women though? Their beauty?"

Panther frowned and said "Well..."

Miyu came closer to him and said "Good sparring with you." She gave him a tickle under the chin and then walked off.

Panther watched her go and then walked over to a bench and sat down. He hoped he hadn't offended her somehow. Although her question about if a woman's beauty was the only thing he thought about it when it came to their gender made him wonder if she was right, was that all he thought about? He sighed, if he thought honestly, that really was. Ah well, Miyu was a strange woman, he could certainly tell she wasn't immune to his charms the same way Krystal was, but he doubted she was a girl who would ever allow herself to be seduced by anyone. Panther had to admit though that in her case, he was certain that wasn't all he wanted to do, he had looked into her eyes as she held him to the ground and all he had been able to think about was how lovely her eyes were, and he had the feeling if she hadn't looked away he wouldn't have been able to. He smiled, there was something about her that was making him fairly certain he was smitten, though the last thing he was going to do was admit it, at least not yet. And besides, he was certain he had never been smitten like this in his life, though he had certainly been attracted to women. But Miyu, she was different, he was attracted to more than her body, and that was very, very, different. _Get a hold of yourself Panther, she's a woman, and for you women have never been anything but a source of pleasure, she shouldn't be any different. Should she?_

Panther shook himself and headed for the weights, he had to clear his mind, and there was no better way to do that than lose himself in keeping his body in good shape. Yes, that was all he needed, to sweat and exert and not think about Miyu, although, that seemed to be more and more impossible.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Miyu entered the room that had been assigned to her the last time she had been with the team, she was certain no one would object to her reclaiming it. She looked around, it looked much as she had left it, there was a bed, big enough for two she noticed. _Why the hell are you thinking about that?! Come on Miyu!_ There was a window that currently gave her a view of the stars and nothing else, she had no objection to that, stars were romantic. _MIYU!_ She shook herself, why was she thinking about this all of a sudden? She decided she needed to talk to someone, and she knew exactly who to talk to about this.

She walked over to the comm. and dialed the number for her oldest and closest friend Fay. The comm. line rang and a moment later Fay appeared on the screen, she was white collie who always seemed to be happy, social, and loved red bows. "Hi Fay."

Fay smiled and said "Miyu! Where are you?"

Miyu smiled back and said "I signed on with Fox and his team for awhile. I needed to clear my head."  
Fay raised an eyebrow and said "Man troubles?"

Miyu crossed her arms and said "How did you know?"

Fay smiled and said "Last time you signed on with Star Fox you had just gone through a break up and as I recall you said you needed to, and I quote, 'blow some motherfuckers out of the sky.'"  
Miyu grinned and said "I always have been elegant with my language haven't I?"

Fay snorted and said "Ever since you finally started swearing. And I'm pretty sure we both know we can blame Falco for that. I think his first word was motherfucker."  
They both laughed and then Miyu said "How have things been going with you?"

Fay shrugged and said "Same as always, life here on Corneria couldn't be better, I have a good job as a flight instructor at the Academy, so I really can't complain."

"Any new men in your life?"

Fay grinned and said "A few. But the most important one is finally falling for me."  
Miyu smiled and said "Bill?"

Fay nodded "He's so great. I think I'm finally getting to him."

Miyu shook her head "He's always been into you, he just wanted to have sex with a few other girls first."  
Fay looked pouty for a moment then said "Well, the fact that he and are going on a date this Saturday is all that really matters. And besides, when I do let him fuck me at least he'll know what he's doing."

They both laughed and then Fay said "What about you? Has anyone caught your eye?"

Miyu frowned and said "Well..."

Fay smiled and said "Oh come on who is he?"

Miyu sighed and said "Promise you will tell no one." Fay nodded excitedly. "Panther Caroso."  
Fay stared at her for a good thirty seconds before saying "Panther Caroso? Of Star Wolf? The biggest manwhore in the universe?"

Miyu nodded, but was beginning to feel a little embarrassed. Fay noticed and said "Oh come on it's not a bad thing. How have his reactions been?"

Miyu shrugged "He's smooth, and I know he's a manwhore. But I think he might be...Oh I don't know. Maybe he is just trying to get into my pants. What do you think I should do?"  
Fay grinned and said "I've met him, he's as hot as they come. Just see where it goes, get to know him, if you have sex with him have fun, and if nothing comes of it at least you'll get a little action. Haven't you been having a dry spell?"

Miyu gave her an annoyed look and said "Yes. If only for lack of trying."

Fay giggled and said "Then I say go for it. And start trying. Besides, as long as your with Fox and the rest Panther ought to know if he does anything you don't like he's likely to get shot in the ass."  
Miyu laughed and said "True. And your right, he is hot. I saw him with his shirt off. Hunk doesn't even begin to describe it."

Fay raised her eyebrows and said "How did you get to see him with his shirt off?"

"We sparred."  
"Did you kick his ass?"

Miyu smiled and replied "Big time. He brought me down, tried to help me up, I brought him down. So I guess it more just evened out."

Fay got a dreamy look and said "Oh to be you. I would've wanted to do more than spar."

Miyu smiled and said "Who said I didn't want to? He is a rather well chiseled hunk of man body. I suppose I'll get to know him. Like you said, I should really just try and have some fun."  
Fay leaned back and said "Just stay sober."

Miyu shook her head "Don't I always? I'll call you when I have anymore news."

Fay grinned and said "Yay! I'll be waiting. And Miyu? Just let yourself go, try to think a little more with your hormones than your head for awhile. It might seem like bad advice, but sometimes you've just got to let yourself have some fun."  
Miyu nodded "I know. Talk to you later."

Fay nodded and the call ended. Miyu smiled, _Act with my hormones. At the moment that would mean I should skip the getting to know him part and head straight to the bed with him. So I won't act entirely with them. But fuck it, I'll keep them in mind._


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Panther was on his fourth set of weights and up to the forty pounders in each hand, he was sweating, panting just a bit, and enjoying himself immensely. He hadn't had an actual thought since he had started lifting about an hour ago, he had managed to entirely clear his mind. He put the weights down and breathed. As if the very air was permeated with thoughts he was trying to avoid as soon as took a breath thoughts of women came back into his mind. Well, not women in general like it usually was, this time just one woman, Miyu. Panther could see her in his mind, all her curves, all her spots, and he could practically feel her deliciously soft fur against his own. He sighed, he really was taken with her, but at the same time he was worried about coming on too strong and scaring her away, he would be lying if he said that had never happened, though he wouldn't be if he said it had never really bothered him before. Until he had met Miyu however there had always been another woman he could go after, plenty of tail had always been available to him. It still was when he thought about it, but at the same time he wasn't sure if he actually wanted it. _Come on Panther, get a fucking hold of yourself. You've barely met her and already your acting as if you've found the One! Although I can't imagine someone other than her being the One. Then again have I ever been looking for the One? No, just something to have sex with. _ _Not that it wasn't fun._

Panther shook his head, he was twenty-nine, and as far as he had ever been concerned he had never been interested in falling in love. Now however he was beginning to feel as if he really had fallen in love, and after only knowing the girl for a few hours, there was no way this was real. Though it was certainly different, he knew he had never felt like this, and he also knew that he was beginning to like feeling this way about someone. "Are you brooding?"

Panther jumped at the sound of the voice behind him, he turned around and saw Wolf looking at him, arms across his chest. "What?" Panther said.  
"Are you brooding?"

Panther tilted his head a bit and replied "No."

Wolf shook his head and said "Panther, you may be able to lie to get tail, but there is no way you can lie to me. Something is bothering you."  
Panther sighed and said "It's nothing important."  
Wolf sat down next to him and said "In that case I think I know what it is, your smitten."

Panther's eyes widened and he thought_ Is it that obvious?_ However what he said to Wolf was a bit different. "Wolf, you're crazy. I have never been smitten in my life, nor will I ever be."  
Wolf laughed and said "My ass Panther, you're smitten right now. Admit it, for the first time in your life you've met a woman who for whatever reason looks like more to you then just tail."  
Panther frowned and said "Maybe."  
Wolf hung his head and said "Panther, admitting you like a girl for more than just her body is not a sign of anything. At least nothing bad."

Panther raised an eyebrow and replied "Have you ever felt like that? I seem to recall you going to your room with plenty of different women."

Wolf shrugged "I'll admit to not having a problem with women as a source of pleasure, but I wouldn't say I want that to be my life. You on the other hand have always tried to make that your life, leaving you with no real experience on how to deal with feelings. But hey, I don't want to get to deep here. But my advice, think with more than just your hormones, think a little more with what your heart wants, it doesn't lead you astray, at least not all the time."

With that Wolf got up and walked back out of the gym leaving Panther somewhat shocked. And with more than a little to think about.

A/N: A short chapter, and a bit of a parallel to the previous chapter with Miyu and Fay. I should have another chapter up soon.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The next day when Miyu awoke from a fitful sleep she stretched lazily and smiled, she had had good dreams that night. Though it was nothing she was really intending to talk about, she hoped Krystal hadn't picked up on them, that would have been embarrassing. She got up and walked over to the shower, getting in she turned on the warm water and stood for a moment letting it fall down her body, there was no more relaxing and gentle way to wake up then with the feeling of warm water trailing across one's body, at least that was her opinion. However she remembered she was on a ship and though water was easy to generate it was somewhat selfish to take too long a shower. She thus quickly washed every inch of herself in shampoo, rinsed, and then did it all once more, just to be sure. When she was done she stepped out of the shower into the steamy bathroom. She dried herself with a hairdryer rather than a towel, it kept her fur smoother and softer. She then brushed her teeth, paying special attention to her fangs, and then dressed. She chose a simple outfit, nothing more than a tight shirt, and khaki short shorts. Looking at herself in the mirror she pronounced herself good and walked out.

As soon as she was out of her room she headed for the kitchen. She walked in and found Fox was there along with Krystal. She smiled and said "Is no one else up yet?"

Fox shook his head "I don't think so, unless their hiding in their rooms. But Falco usually sleeps for as long as possible and Slippy, who knows, I've seen him sleep a whole day and then be up for three."  
Miyu sat down at the table and said "Sounds unhealthy."

Fox shrugged "It's Slippy, you know him, if he's doing something he won't stop until it's done, or it gets boring."

Miyu nodded and said "Well, what's for breakfast?"

Krystal smiled and answered "Fox is making pancakes."

Miyu smiled as well and replied "Yay! Fox you make the best pancakes."

Fox shrugged "I learned it from my mom, no one made them better than her." He then set about making the food.

Miyu looked at Krystal and said "Sorry I kind of holed up in my room yesterday, I had to do some thinking."

Krystal rested her chin on her hand and asked "Oh? What kind of thinking?"

Miyu shrugged and said "Oh, just thinking about what to do with myself. And what do about Panther."  
Krystal's tail swished and she said "What are you going to do about Panther, because I can tell you that he really seems to like you."  
Miyu's ears perked up and she went a little dreamy eyed for a moment before saying "Oh he does?" Krystal nodded. "Well then, I think I'll take the advice that Fay gave me and get to know him, I kind of like him too."  
Fox looked over from his pancakes and said "Kind of?"

Miyu shook her head "Ok fine, so I really like him. Like a lot. Is that a crime?"

"Are you over eighteen?"

Miyu rolled her eyes "For the past ten years of my life. Don't worry, I know exactly what he is and exactly what I'm getting into."  
"Speaking of which," Said Krystal, "What happened in the gym after I left?"

Miyu flicked an ear "We sparred."  
Fox looked over at her again and said "Who won?"

"It was a tie."

Krystal slumped her shoulders and said "Come on Miyu, we want details."

Miyu shrugged "We fell down."

Fox rolled his eyes saying "I get the feeling you don't want to talk about it."  
Miyu frowned and said "Look, nothing really happened, we sparred, talked a little, that's all. It was no biggie."

Krystal sighed "Fine. Fox are the pancakes done?"

Fox smiled and nodded. He then handed them each a plate with four pancakes on it. Krystal and Miyu inhaled the scent somewhat greedily, gave a sigh of pleasure, and then began eating. They ate in silence for a few moments before the door opened to admit Falco followed by Wolf. Falco looked at Fox and said "Are you making pancakes?"

Fox swallowed a bite and replied "I made pancakes, but you missed your chance."

Falco gave him a look that plainly said I hate you and then walked over to the cabinet to find his own food. Wolf walked over to the coffee maker and poured himself a cup before sitting down. He and Fox looked at each other for a moment across the table before Wolf said "Is it always going to be this tense?"

Krystal and Miyu glanced at each other and then became very interested in their food. Fox shrugged and said "I don't see why. Just try not to shoot at me in the future and we'll see how things go from there."  
Wolf nodded and answered "Just don't do things that will make it necessary for me to shoot at you and I won't. Did you find out anything about the Syndicate?"

"Yeah," Fox replied, "Once everyone wakes up and has something to eat I'll brief you all and we can get this mission started."  
Wolf sipped his coffee and then said "Sounds good."  
Falco sat down with a bowl of cheerios and said "Frog boy should be awake soon, I heard his alarm going off when I went by his room. You know him, he hits snooze three or four times before waking up. As for Panther and Leon, I have no idea."  
"Panther's awake by now, he wakes up early, well when he hasn't been up too late, or been drunk too much, as for Leon, I've never been able to figure out his sleep patterns." Said Wolf.

Miyu looked at Wolf and asked "Does Panther get drunk a lot?"

Wolf looked at her "Depends, if he's at a party, but not on his own. Let's just say he drinks socially, but I've never seen him take a drink on his own."

Miyu nodded and continued eating, she ignored the fact that she could see Krystal hiding a smile, it had been an honest question. And it wasn't as if Wolf was going to know about the fact that she was a bit enamored with his ace pilot. "So Miyu, what do you think of Panther?" Asked Wolf.

Miyu nearly choked on her pancake, she recovered and replied "Umm, I don't know. Why?"

Wolf shrugged and said "He seems to like you."

Miyu repressed a smile "Oh? I have the feeling he likes a lot of women."  
Wolf sipped his coffee "Depends on how you look at it. But I think he feels a little differently about you then he does with other women. Something to think about."

Miyu nodded and went to get herself some coffee as well. When she sat back down the door opened to admit Panther and Leon followed by Slippy. Wolf looked over at Panther "We were just talking about you."

Miyu's eyes widened a little and she looked at Wolf who gave her a cocky grin, she noticed that Fox was watching him very closely, no doubt waiting to step in if Wolf said or did anything he wasn't supposed to. Panther looked at Wolf "Oh?"

Wolf nodded "Yep, don't worry, nothing but good things."

Panther looked at Wolf suspiciously and then got himself some coffee as well as a massive bowl of cheerios. He sat down close to Miyu, she looked at the bowl full of cereal and said "I take it you like cheerios."  
Panther smiled "Favorite. Though I do prefer pancakes."  
Miyu raised an eyebrow and then looked at Fox, Fox sighed and got up "Fine, I guess I'll make everyone pancakes."  
"I don't like pancakes." Leon said.

Wolf looked at him and said "Well good the fuck for you. I'll have yours."

Miyu stifled a laugh. A few minutes later everyone was served and had a remarkably civil breakfast, despite the fact that the teams were sworn rivals.

Half an hour after breakfast the two teams were assembled in the briefing room once again, this time Miyu decided to sit across from Panther, and the rest found seats according to whatever logic drove them. Needless to say Fox and Wolf were at the head of the table across from each other, Miyu was continually shocked that they were able to be in such close proximity without either yelling at each other punching each other out. She had been with them in high school, the two had never liked each other. Fox looked around the table and said "So, I talked to a friend of mine in the Cornerian Intelligence Directorate, and he said that according to what they can determine the boss that's responsible for the piracy is based out of Papetoon. Oh, and I also talked to General Pepper and he gave us a go ahead to take the guy out, said he'd clear it with the planetary authorities, so at least we won't have law enforcement on our tails as well as the Syndicate."

Miyu sat a little straighter and asked "Did your buddy give you exact location for the boss on Papetoon?"

Fox nodded and replied "He works out of a casino in the red light district on Papetoon's capital city."

Panther's tail twitched and he said "Then I assume he's also dealing in gambling and prostitution."

"Something you have some experience with no doubt." Falco said.  
"Quiet Bird." Replied Panther, shooting the blue feathered avian a glare.

"Lock it down both of you." Said Fox. "Panther, is there a particular reason that you pointed that out, because you are right."

Panther nodded "I brought it up because the moment this boss smells trouble he won't hesitate to do whatever it takes to save his own fur. And that includes hostages."

"So," Said Slippy, "We have to handle this without going in guns blazing."

"Master of the obvious Slip." Said Falco.

Krystal's tail twitched as she sensed Slippy's irritation and she said "Well then, we infiltrate."

Wolf nodded "Yeah. Though to be honest I think it would be best to do so with people who won't be easily recognized."

Fox 's shoulders slumped and he said "Well, there goes my plan to volunteer."

Miyu smiled saying "Good thing I'm here. As someone who has not saved the universe three times over and who doesn't frequent the criminal underworld, not that you do Fox, I should be perfect."  
"I'll go with her." Panther said immediately. Everyone looked at him, Miyu smiled a little more at how quickly he had volunteered. Panther looked back at everyone and said "She needs someone who knows the lay of the land. I've dealt with criminals before, and besides, unescorted ladies in a place like this are never very safe."

"How noble of you Panther." Said Miyu.

He looked at her and said "Not that I doubt your ability to defend yourself, but infiltrating successfully will require not beating the living day light out of people. Take it as a compliment, all it means that you are beautiful young lady who would attract attention."

Miyu smiled and replied "Well then, I suppose I won't take any offense. And besides, you certainly know how capable I am at hand to hand."

Panther smiled back and the two stared into each other's eyes for a few moments, Miyu was fascinated by his eyes, they were yellow and predatory, and very alluring. She felt as if she could stare into them forever.

Panther looked into Miyu's eyes, they were such a lovely blue, so deep, so full of intelligence and understanding. Panther wanted to simply look into her eyes for as long as he could, for as long as she would let him.

The moment however was interrupted when Wolf cleared his throat saying "Well then, I suppose we have our infiltrators. Anything else we should discuss?"

Fox shook his head and replied "I got nothing. I suppose we should let Panther and Miyu come up with their own plan." He looked at the two of them "Once you guys have decided on what to do let us know, in the meantime we'll set a course for Papetoon, should take a few hours to get there at most."  
With that the meeting broke up. Slippy headed for the engine room, saying that the plasma reactor had been needing repairs for awhile. Falco headed for the Arwing flight simulator, saying he wanted to keep his skills intact, Leon went with him, no doubt to heckle him until he agreed to a match, one that Miyu knew Falco would win, he was easily one of the best pilots who had ever lived. Fox and Krystal went to the gym after Fox told ROB to set a course for Papetoon, they were joined by Wolf, it never ceased to amaze Miyu that the two could stand each other. Leaving her and Panther in the briefing room alone. She looked at him and said "So, you've had dealings with criminals? What sort of dealings?"

Panther relocated himself to a seat next to her "I fell in with a gang around Sargasso Space Zone, pirates actually. They had dealings with the Sector X Syndicate. When Wolf took over Sargasso he offered to let me join his team, it wasn't at all a tough decision, I never really liked raiding innocent people's ships. I owe him one for giving me the chance, the rest of the pirate crew got blasted to atoms when he took over their turf."

Miyu nodded and replied "So in other words you were a criminal."

Panther nodded and actually looked a bit sheepish, if only a for the briefest instant. Then he said "For me it was a different life, and I've tried to act a little more honorably since I joined Star Wolf. Though I suppose some of my antics have been less than that."  
Miyu looked at him and asked "Is that a regret I hear?"

Panther shrugged "Perhaps. Now, we should focus on the mission we have, we only have a few hours before we get to Papetoon."

Miyu nodded in agreement, though secretly she was a bit disappointed, it had seemed for a moment he was really going to confide in her. How strange that he seemed to trust her so much after having only met her yesterday. It seemed that Krystal and Wolf were right, he really did seem to like her. "Fine, I guess the trickiest thing we're going to have to do is get in to see the boss. Got any ideas?"

Panther smiled and said "Simple, bosses always owe someone money, all we need to do is make it known that we're there to collect."

Miyu raised an eyebrow "Sounds more like a plan to get a bullet to the head in an alley way."

Panther smiled even more and replied "Don't worry, he'll want to know just who we are first, but yes, for him the story will end with our deaths. All we have to do is kill him first."

Miyu shrugged "Just an average day as a mercenary, kill or be killed. Sounds like a plan. How exactly should we get in, fake names or anything?"

Panther shook his head "No, my name might actually help, like I said, I've dealt with the Sector X Syndicate before, all the more reason they might want to talk to me. As for you, it's not really necessary."

Miyu nodded "Fine. Would you say this casino they work out of would be a high class joint?"

Panther thought for a moment and then said "My guess would be it will at least try to have the appearance of one. I'll wear a suit. As for you, I would say the only guideline would be something sexy, we're going as a couple after all."

Miyu flicked an ear and said "I have no intention of being arm candy for you."  
Panther's eyes widened a bit and he stammered "No, no, that isn't what I meant, all I meant was that..."

Miyu laughed and cut him off "Don't worry, I was just kidding around. I know full well my part is more along those lines. Just don't expect me to kiss you and rub your body at the gambling table."

Panther nodded, "Of course, I don't want to presume on you."

Miyu smiled and said "I'm going to go find some suitable clothes. Then if there's enough time left I think I might head to the simulator room, brush up on my flying, want to join me?"

Panther smiled back and said "Gladly, I'd like to see your piloting."

"Fine," said Miyu, "I'll be there in about half an hour, doesn't take me that long to find clothes. One question though, low cut?"

Panther nodded "Yes, I hate to say it but the sexier the better, that way everyone will be a bit more distracted."

Miyu smiled "I think you just want to see me in something sexy. Don't worry, I won't disappoint."

She left without saying anything else. As she walked out the door Panther sighed and slumped back in his chair. He would have been lying if he said he had volunteered to go with her just for the sake of the mission. In fact the moment she had volunteered he had decided to go with her out of a sense of...protectiveness? Yes, Panther had no other way to describe his reasoning, he wanted to go along to protect her, he knew she could take care of herself, their sparring match had been evidence of that, but he knew exactly what she was going into, and lone women were always vulnerable to being preyed upon, no matter how much ass they could kick. Panther didn't want to see her come to any harm, though he had a feeling he shouldn't tell her that, it would only offend her, and that was something he definitely didn't want to do.

Half an hour later Panther walked into the Great Fox's flight simulator room, he saw that Falco and Leon were engaged in a one on one battle with each other, he checked the score and saw that Falco had scored three hits to Leon's two. He smiled a bit and thought_ Good, he needs to be kept a bit humble, the sadistic lizard._ A few moments later the doors to the room opened to admit Miyu, he smiled and walked over to her "Did you find what you were looking for?"

Miyu nodded "Yep, I think you'll like it. Are you ready to be beaten soundly in aerial combat?"

Panther chuckled and said "We'll see about that. I don't suppose the simulators are programmed for Wolfens."  
"Actually," Said Miyu, "They are, Fox keeps the simulators as up to date as possible, and he has just about every fighter craft in existence programmed into this thing."

Panther looked a bit surprised and asked "Well alright. I like to hear that. What do you plan on flying?"

Miyu smiled "The Arwing of course, I grew up with that ship. And not to start anything, but it really has the Wolfen outclassed in just about everything except shear hull strength."

Panther raised an eyebrow and flicked his tail saying "I suppose we'll see. Shall we?"

Miyu nodded and both climbed into the simulator cockpits. Miyu booted up the simulator and said over the comm. line "What kind of environment are you thinking?"

"I was thinking a battle over Corneria City."

Miyu shrugged and answered "Sounds good to me, my ship is maneuverable."She punched up the environment and a moment later the simulator room was replaced by a blue sky and tall buildings. She smiled and said "And here we go."

She boosted forward and located Panther on her radar. He was coming straight at her, within seconds she could see him, she knew he was a on a collision course, and she knew he was just testing to see if she would flinch. She smiled and said to herself "Bring it." She boosted again, the distance between them closing fast, within only a few seconds they would collide, however just as impact became imminent both rolled to opposite sides. Miyu executed a tight turn to get him back in her sights but as soon as she came around she was greeted not by the sight a of Wolfen fighter but by simple open sky. "The hell?"

A laser bolt streaked past her cockpit, having narrowly missed her top starboard G-diffuser. She looked behind her and saw Panther's Wolfen, she swore, while she had turned he must have simply climbed and then dived in to get behind her. It was a clever move, but she had certainly seen it before. She executed a quick evasive roll to starboard and then headed for the city, she would lose him in the buildings, if there was one thing she knew about the Wolfen it was that it was less capable of doing tight maneuvers in comparison to the Arwing, the buildings would be a tougher field of battle for him than her.

As she headed into the skyline she could see him following closely behind her, several more laser bolts flew past her and impacted on buildings, shattering glass and melting metal. She dove into the city, reducing her altitude and executing several tight maneuvers around buildings, she watched her radar closely and saw that she had managed to get him off her tail. She then executed a near vertical climb, gaining altitude rapidly she was soon above the city, still tracking Panther on her radar she dove once again and managed to get behind him. She smiled and fired off several three round laser bursts in rapid succession, none of them managed to connect however and he quickly dodged to his port side. Miyu followed and readied her lasers for another volley.

As soon as she turned however Panther executed a loop maneuver and managed to once again get himself behind her. Miyu certainly didn't expect him to let her get away, and he certainly had no intention of doing so, laser bolts flew past her and a moment later her ship jolted forward under the impact of single bolt. "Fuck!" A red light began flashing, one of her two port G-diffusers had been hit and was now operating at less than fifteen percent capacity. With her ability to perform tight high-g maneuvers compromised the city began to look less inviting. She pulled up and headed for open sky. Miyu noticed happily that the simulator had decided to add a little cloud cover, she headed straight for a thick patch of clouds. She would get him to follow her and while his visibility was cut to nothing she would maneuver to the side and rake him with laser bolts as he came through the cloud.

As she climbed Panther was still hot on her tail and firing away, several more bolts nearly connected though she managed to avoid them. Her fighter entered the cloud and exited within a sparse few seconds. She pulled her fighter to the side and hit the brakes, her G-diffusers adjusted themselves to allow her to hover, and she waited. It was not a long wait, within what she guessed was about three or four seconds Panther's Wolfen tore through the cloud layer, she didn't waste any time, boosting forward and up she lined up a shot and fired with the full fury of her Arwing's weapons. Laser bolts flew from the nose cannon and Panther, caught slightly unawares was unable to prevent the first few from impacting on his fighter. However Miyu was aware that the damage she had done would be minimal, the Wolfen was a tank compared to the Arwing, and could take a hell of a beating. However she had no intention of allowing him to lose her again. Even as he executed several evasive maneuvers she kept on his tail, firing away in short bursts. Several more connected and she noted with satisfaction that she had managed to clip one of his wings, compromising his ability to maneuver.

With that in mind she began charging a shot, within seconds her nose gun was glowing with excess energy condensed into a red orb, she locked on to Panther's Wolfen and fired. The glowing orb of plasma energy shot forward and began to close the gap between her fighter and Panther's, she smiled, he couldn't avoid the shot, and seconds later it impacted straight on his main engine. Seconds later he began losing altitude as his thruster gave out and his G-diffusers failed. Just as he was about to impact the ocean below the simulation came to an end and the simulated environment was once more replaced with the view of the simulator room. Miyu popped the hatch and looked over at Panther, smiling she said "I win."

Panther looked at her and replied a bit grudgingly "Fair enough. You are an exceptional pilot, and I have to admit, the Arwing does seem to have its advantages over the Wolfen, at least when you're piloting it."

"We still have a couple of hours before we reach Papetoon," Miyu said, "Shall we go again?"

Panther grinned and said "Naturally, I have to regain my honor."

"Good luck." Answered Miyu as the two began another round.

A/N: This was without a doubt a much longer chapter than the ones previously posted, and I hope you all liked it. I'm not terribly experienced at doing aerial combat scenes, and I hope this one wasn't too horrible. With that in mind I would like to hear your thoughts on the chapter so leave a review, they keep me motivated and really help me to improve my writing. Next chapter should come up soon.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: We are getting close to the end ladies and gentleman, or as Panther Caroso once said "Looks like we're getting close to the grand finale hon." Read on, and reviews are appreciated.

Chapter 7

The Great Fox slipped into orbit above the planet Papetoon. Both teams had assembled on the bridge, Miyu looked out the viewport at the planet. Papetoon was something of a riot of colors with terraforming across the world turning much of what had once been desert into useable farmland. There were greens and blues from fertilized lands and recently made lakes and rivers, as well as the browns and yellows of the remaining desert. There were also lights on the dark side of the world indicating habitation, with much of the populous clustered in several large cities, and the rest spread out across the frontier farmland. Miyu looked at Panther, he had certainly dressed well, he was dressed entirely in black, in fact it matched his fur tone almost too perfectly.

Miyu had dressed as well as she could, she hadn't really been expecting to need any sort of formal clothes. She was wearing an orange dress that didn't quite reach her knees and left her shoulders bare, it wasn't excessively low cut but it wasn't exactly modest either. ROB was piloting the Great Fox into a geo-synchronous orbit above the capital, it was currently on the night side of the planet. As soon as the orbit was established Fox turned to Miyu and Panther and said "Well, I guess it's time for you two to get down there."  
Wolf turned as well and said "Do your best to stay in contact, the moment anything goes wrong let us know and we'll be ready."

Miyu and Panther nodded and Miyu said "The Wolfens have two seats right?"

Panther nodded "I suppose we should take my ship then, to be honest it will attract less attention than an Arwing."

Miyu smiled "Shall we go?"

Panther smiled back and the two made their way to the hangar. Panther popped the canopy of his Wolfen and the two climbed in. He then went through his standard pre-flight checks, closed the canopy and pressurized the cockpit, and activated the engine. Looking back at Miyu he said "Here we go."

Panther than rocketed out of the hangar, Miyu repressed a smile at the exhilaration of the sudden burst of speed, it never got old even after all her long years of flying. The Wolfen headed through Papetoon's atmosphere at a more reasonable speed and she watched as the lights of the city began to show through the darkness. She only half listened as Panther talked to the control tower at the city spaceport and arranged for a place for them to land. A few minutes later Panther landed and powered down his Wolfen. He popped the canopy and stepped down first, then offered his hand to Miyu. She took and he helped her down.

Miyu looked at him and said "So how are you intending to get to this place?"

Panther nodded towards a waiting car before saying "I arranged transport."

Miyu looked over and saw a black hover car waiting for them, she smiled "Nice."

The two walked over and got into the car, Panther took the driver's seat and keyed the ignition. Pulling out of the spaceport he said "When we get there I've already managed to get us in directly to see the boss. I did a little preparing before we hit the simulators, once were there we'll simply knock out whatever guards he as with him and then take him out."

"That simple?" Asked Miyu.

Panther nodded "That simple."

Miyu looked at him inquiringly "Just how did you arrange for us to get in to see him though?"

Panther looked a little uncomfortable for a moment and then answered "I know someone who he happens to like very much."  
Miyu raised an eyebrow and said "Male or female?"

Panther sighed and replied "Female."

Miyu noticed that it was making him a bit uncomfortable but decided to have a little fun at his expense. "How do you know her?"

Panther was silent for a few moments then said "Um, old girlfriend."

"Serious?"

Panther sighed again "I suppose, but it was over a long time ago. Still, she happens to like me enough to convince Boss Hiro to meet with us."

"You know his name?" She asked.

Panther nodded "Yes, I've actually met him before. Like I said, I've had a few dealings with the Syndicate in the past."

Miyu nodded and watched the city out of her window, after several minutes of driving she noticed that the people walking the street began to change from happy couples and families out for the night, to less reputable looking women and inebriated looking men. "I take it we just passed into the red light district."

Panther nodded and said "Yes, and Hiro's casino is coming up right now."

Miyu noticed the building, it was circular and looked to be only a few floors tall, and it didn't look like the most reputable building in the city. She wondered if Panther had ever been there, she decided to ask "Ever been here before?"

Panther shook his head "Not this particular one, no. But I suppose you could say I've been to places like this in the past."

Miyu nodded. Panther parked the car and got out, he hurried to her door and opened it for her. She smiled and said "My, quite the gentleman."

Panther smiled a little replying with a "Thanks." He held out his arm and Miyu wrapped her own around it, she noted his biceps and repressed a smile. He looked at her and said "Whatever happens stay with me, this place isn't likely to be like a resort casino filled with families."

Miyu nodded "More criminals, drunks, stoners, and whores?"

"Well...Yes." Panther replied.

Miyu smiled "Hell of a place to take a lady on the first date."

Panther's eyes widened "Ummm, well... I mean..." he stammered.

Miyu smiled even more "Just messing with you. Shall we go?"

Panther nodded and the two entered the casino. As soon as they were inside Miyu noted to her distaste the scent of smoke coming from cigar smoking people at the gambling tables. She looked around and noted less than respectable women walking around in clothing that left hardly anything covered, as well as the occasional ape or large canine keeping an eye on everything. Panther began making his way towards the back of the place, she noted that he was trying not to breathe too much. She looked up at him and asked "Not big on smoke?"

Panther nodded "Not really no."

When they reached the back they were confronted by two large bulldogs in suits that looked like they were about to burst from the contained physiques. Panther looked at them and said "I'm here to see Boss Hiro."  
One of the bulldogs looked at him skeptically "And just who are you?"

Panther's face hardened and he answered "None of your concern."

"Then you don't get in."

Panther sighed and replied "I'm a friend of his."

"How do I know that?"

Panther smiled a bit as he said "You don't. But look at it this way, he's expecting me, and if I really am a friend, do you want to be the one who gets in my way and makes me late? The Boss's time is valuable after all, wasting it is never a good move for anyone."

Panther and the dog locked stairs for a moment, the bulldog finally backed down "You can go in, but the bitch stays here."

Miyu glared daggers at the bulldog and did her best to refrain from kicking his balls into his body. Panther shook his head "This young _lady_ goes where I go. Now out of the way." With that he simply pushed past the two dogs and went through the door.

As soon as they entered however Miyu immediately got the feeling that things weren't about to go as planned. For one thing there were at least ten heavily armed apes inside the room, she noted that in addition to simple blasters two had sub-machine guns. Just in front of the ruffians was a rather large ape in a suit which she took immediate disliking to, the color was awful. The suited ape, who she assumed was Hiro said "Panther Caroso, just what are you doing here? Trying to kill me perhaps?"

Panther frowned and said "Whatever gave you that idea Hiro?"

Hiro frowned and said "Contacting one of my women to arrange a meeting, and coming along with the Great Fox, and perhaps just a little of my own intuition."

Panther frowned and said "I really wasn't going to kill you."

Hiro laughed and said "Sure you weren't. I know full well that Zoness shipping is offering a massive reward for anyone who can solve their little piracy problem that has been lining my pockets. Only you, Wolf O'Donnell and perhaps Star Fox would be crazy enough to take on that kind of contract."

Hiro than motioned his ruffians forward, Panther and Miyu assessed the situation, there were ten heavily armed opponents, both knew they didn't actually have a chance. However before either could do anything two of the ruffians grabbed Miyu, she kicked and managed to get one of them in the shins, but another leveled his SMG before she could take advantage. At the sight of the gun leveled at her she immediately became very still, as did Panther.

Panther looked at Miyu then at Hiro, he made a decision, "Let her go. If you want a hostage as insurance take me."

Hiro smiled and said "Panther Caroso giving a damn about a woman? I think that just makes taking her an even better idea."

Before Panther had a chance to say anything else however one of the ruffians hit him in the back of the head with his gun. Panther grunted and fell to the floor, barely conscious, he heard Hiro telling the ruffians to take Miyu to a ship, and he saw Hiro and his gang leaving through a back door, then he passed out.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Panther came to in a daze. He opened his eyes and looked around, his head hurt, he reached his hand up to it and discovered a massive lump but no blood, it couldn't be all that bad then if it wasn't bleeding, unless it was bleeding internally, but he doubted that. For a few moments he wasn't actually sure where he was. Then suddenly everything came back to him in a flash, he swore and got to his feet. He fished his communicator from his suit and contacted the Great Fox "Panther, what is it?" Fox's voice came through the communicator.

"They took Miyu." Said Panther, "They're heading for a ship, likely a combat vessel. Have any ships left?"

There was momentary delay and then Fox's voice came back "One ship left the planet since you went down, and it was heading for Sector X. You said they took Miyu?"

"Yes." Panther said as he began to head for the outside of the casino. "I'm heading for my Wolfen now, I'll be up in a few minutes. We have to go after that ship, I don't want to think what they might do to her when they reach Sector X."

Panther landed in the bay of the Great Fox and hopped out of his Wolfen. He ran to the bridge and reach it in ten seconds flat. Panther looked at Fox and asked "Are we going after them?"

Fox nodded "Now that you're aboard." He looked at ROB and said "ROB, set an intercept course for that ship, best possible speed, and if we can do a little more that would be nice."

ROB acknowledged his orders and set about executing them with machine efficiency. Wolf looked over at Panther asking "What the hell happened down there?"  
Panther filled them in on everything that had happened since he and Miyu had reached the planet, leaving out his conversation with her in the car, it didn't seem necessary to talk about that. Wolf said "Well, if she's a hostage that means things could get tricky. We go in guns blazing we'll get her killed."

Fox nodded and said "What we need to do is get them thinking about something else, distract them so that we can rescue her and get her out without being noticed. If we could somehow disable the ship before they had a chance to see us we might be able to get in without being noticed."

Slippy looked thoughtful for a moment and then said "I may have an idea." Everyone turned to look at him, "The Great Fox's main cannons can be modified to fire an EMP, and they have just a bit more range than that ship's sensors. If we time it right we'll be able to hit them with the EMP and move in before they can restore power."

"How long would we have exactly?" Asked Falco.

Slippy shrugged and said "Before their backup systems kick in, about six minutes, give or take ten or twelve seconds."

Falco nodded resolutely "Then I guess I'll go, I am the fastest pilot here."

Panther frowned saying "I'm going as well, I got her into this, and I intend to be the one who gets her out."

Falco looked at him "If you think you can keep up with me, because I'm not slowing down for you."

Panther smiled and said "Don't worry, it won't be a problem."

Fox nodded "Then get down to the hangar and prep your fighters. Looks like we'll be in range in less than two minutes."  
Both Panther and Falco nodded and then ran for the hangar. Fox looked at Slippy inquiringly "You sure this will work Slip?"

Slippy nodded and said "No worries, I could do this with my eyes closed."

Panther hopped into his Wolfen and powered it on, he sped through the preflight checks and then opened a comm. line to Falco's Arwing "I assume you know your way around the ship we're going after."

Falco's hologram appeared and he said "Yep, I've been on them plenty of times back in the day. I assume you do as well right?"

Panther nodded "Naturally. When we get on board just keep anyone we come across occupied, let me worry about getting Miyu."

Falco was silent for a moment and then he answered "Fine, I guess I can trust you with this."

A moment later Fox's voice came over the comms and said "Time to go, the ship is disabled, signal once you have Miyu, as soon as you get off we're going to blow that ship back to the stone age."

Falco and Panther acknowledged and then shot out of the hangar. Panther could see the ship ahead, it was dark, but was easily spotted by the trail of exhaust coming from its now disabled plasma engine. Both he and Falco boosted their ships to their maximum speed and headed for where they knew the hangar was. As they got closer Panther began to feel a bit of apprehension, if the toad had miscalculated how much time they had there was good chance the ship would come back to life and its weapons would incinerate both him and Falco before they could get away. However nothing of the sort happened and the two managed to land in the hangar, it's pressure shield was still online, it was likely one of the few systems that was EMP proof. Panther grabbed a blaster from underneath his chair, popped the canopy, and hopped down.

The only light came from red emergency lights, he saw Falco hop out of his Arwing with a blaster in hand. Panther noted two contacts inside the hangar and dropped both with two well placed shots. He looked at Falco and said "Make sure the ships are still here when I get back."

Falco nodded and said "Try not to take too long, we only have about three minutes before they can restore power, assuming frog-boy was right."

Panther didn't respond but simply ran for the exit to the hangar. The door opened and he saw two more ruffians, he opened fire without stopping, killing both as he ran down the hallway. He reached the end and then descended one level via an emergency latter, the lifts weren't working. Looking around he spotted a door that said 'Detention', he sprinted for it. Opening it he took stock of the situation, he could see Miyu at the far end of the room, her hands were bound behind her back and she was kneeling, her legs were bound as well. Panther was a bit suspicious of the fact that there were no guards with her but decided not to question his luck. He ran to her and unbound her hands and legs, she stood up and looked at him for a moment before locking him in a bone crushing hug. Panther put his arms around and said "No need to worry, your safe now."

Miyu looked up at him and said "Thanks."

Panther nodded and she released him. The two then made their way back up to the hangar deck. Miyu went over to one of the dead ruffians and picked up his blaster. Panther walked to the door and heard the distinct sound of blaster fire. He and Miyu went through the door and took in the scene. Falco was crouched behind a pile of crates near the ships and taking fire from at least ten hostiles. Panther and Miyu quickly sprinted to his position, firing the whole way. Falco looked at the two of them and said "Nice of you to drop by. Got any ideas on how to get these guys to stop shooting."

Miyu looked at him and said "One." She then peaked over one of the crates and yelled "HEY ASSHOLES! STOP SHOOTING!"

She ducked behind cover again and looked at Panther and Falco they were both staring at her in disbelief. Miyu shrugged and said "Worth a shot. What's in these crates?" Both of them shrugged so she took her blaster and charged it one level then released. The side of one of the crates melted to reveal that the crate was filled with grenades. She looked at Falco and said "Nice choice of cover." She then grabbed two of the grenades, primed them, let them cook for a few seconds, and then lobbed them over their cover. Two seconds later two resounding explosions were heard followed by silence.

Panther peaked from around cover and said "Nice throws. All hostiles KIA. Now shall we go before more of them show up?"

Miyu and Falco nodded and the three headed for their ships. Miyu hopped into the back seat of Panther's Wolfen and seconds later they rocketed out of the hangar. Panther signaled the Great Fox and said "We have her, go ahead and blow the shit out of that crate."

The Great Fox's massive main guns began to glow a bright orange and then released to powerful gouts of super heated plasma. The Boss's ship had no shields to help it absorb the shots, it simply broke in half. The Great Fox then fired two more shots and incinerated what was left of the ship, insuring that there were no survivors. It was merciless, but Panther knew it was necessary, and besides, no one on that ship deserved better. He looked back at Miyu and said "I'm glad you're safe."

Miyu smiled and said "Thanks to you. I owe you a favor now, what do you want?"

Panther thought for a moment and then said "How about we go out on a proper first date once we get paid, somewhere nice."

Miyu smiled even more and said "I'd like that."

Panther nodded and thought to himself _She's the one. I know it. Panther, you've finally fallen in love._


	9. Epilogue

Epilogue

_Three months later..._

Miyu smiled across the table at Fay. The two had met for coffee in Corneria City, "You know you'd never believe it, but since we started dating I haven't seen Panther even eye another girl."

Fay smiled back and said "I guess he finally realized you were all the woman he needed. What are you two planning?"

Miyu shrugged and said "Actually we're planning a trip out to Aquas, go to one of the islands, stay a week or two, make love on the beach. You know, that sort of thing."

Fay nodded and said "Miyu, I'm glad you finally found your man."

Miyu nodded "Yeah, so am I. So am I."

END

A/N: This is the end of the story, I hope all of you have enjoyed, and a special shout out to all of you who had the courtesy to review. I already have a new story in the works, and it won't be long before I begin posting it. It will be back to Fox and Krystal, more than that I will not reveal yet. I hope all of you have enjoyed this story, it is a rather special one for me as it was what got me back into writing Star Fox after a long period of non-writing. Anyways, reviews are always appreciated, and I hope to see you all in my next story!

-general whitefur


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